Shillong: Militancy in the Northeast is drawing "sustenance" from influx of illegal immigrants, mainly from Bangladesh and inter service intelligence (ISI) misguiding people and providing training and arms to the various outfits operating in the region, the Union Home Ministry annual report for 2002-2003 said.

"In the region (Northeast) the armed hostilities have been consistently fuelled from trans-border bases across the long and porous international border ... The propaganda of the militants have been largely drawing its sustenance from the influx of illegal immigrants mainly from Bangladesh," the report which was made available to the media here said.

According to the report militancy in the Northeast was a complex issue as social and economic changes had contributed to the unrest in certain tribal communities and ISI has been pursuing its "evil designs" by misguiding the people and by providing training and arms to the militant outfits.

The agricultural, industrial and infrastructure backwardness of the region had led to high level of unemployment and the frustrated and unemployed youth had become victims of militant outfits.

Describing the militancy in the Northeast as one of the oldest in the country and surfaced right at the time of independence, the report said it was "inter-linked and externally supported subversive activities of militant groups."

The Centre on its part has invited militants to give up violence and come forward for talks within the framework of the Constitution. It has categorically rejected violence as an instrument for solving differences "as the cult of violence negates peace, prosperity and human freedom."

Some of the militant groups of the region have come forward for peace talks, it added.

PTI